CRIMES, UNSOLVED

The Disappearance of Wendy Mayes

On Friday, 15 September 1961, Wendy Catherine Mayes, an
attractive 16-year-old girl, answered an advertisement in a
Wellington newspaper for a photographer's model, and an
interview was arranged. At 7.30 a.m. the following Monday
morning she left home for work in the city. This was the last
time her parents saw her. At 5 p.m. on Monday she met in a
city coffee bar a man who was later identified as John
Frederick Maltby, aged 30. After a brief interview she and
Maltby drove off in his car. When their daughter did not
return home on Monday night, her parents reported her
disappearance to the police. Investigations led to Maltby,
but there was insufficient evidence to hold him. Arrangements
were then made to search the scrub behind Maltby's house and
a 24-hour watch was set. Early in the morning of Thursday, 21
September, Maltby was seen to run into the scrub and,
although the area was searched, no sign of the man was found.
The police extended the scope of the search and large patrols
combed the beaches and hills in the Wellington and Hutt
Valley districts. On Sunday, 24 September, two fishermen
found Maltby's body, which had been washed ashore at Island
Bay. The fate of Wendy Mayes remains a mystery.

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How to cite this page: . 'The Disappearance of Wendy Mayes', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 23-Apr-09URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/crimes-unsolved/page-19